


Through the Good and Bad

by melxncholly



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe: No The Last, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Character Death, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Single Dad Naruto Uzumaki, Theres Canon/Oc and Canon/Canon so expect that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-09 04:31:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17994893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melxncholly/pseuds/melxncholly
Summary: For a moment, Naruto had the family he had always dreamed of.Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone, leaving him with a son who needed him.Uzmaki Naruto is no quitter, and even if he’s alone, he’s going to be the best damn dad Konoha’s ever seen.Good thing he also has his friends to help, in the ups and downs, and the good and the bad.





	Through the Good and Bad

**Author's Note:**

> this is an au tht ive been enjoying thinking abt for a while, and with one of my favorite next gen kids. 
> 
> i kind of wanted to explore what would happen if naruto, as an adult, was a little different than his canon counterpart. im planning on this being multiple chapters, with shikanaru being the eventual pairing, but this fic has em all, kinda my age (23) already married w/ kids.... i feel so old.
> 
> i hope you enioy this however, and forgive any mistakes, its 130 am and i have work at 9

Naruto met Chiharu Amano at nineteen, three months after he and Hinata had (amicably) broken up.

 

He had been running to meet up with Sakura and Sai, to welcome the Kazekage and his entourage to the village. She had woken up late that day, and had been running to meet up with some old school friends for lunch. They had crashed into each other, and it was love at first sight.

 

It became _Naruto and Chiharu_ together, instead of just Naruto, or just Chiharu. They had been instant friends after that first fated collision. Naruto had been taken with her mischievous streak, and her quick wit and determination. She was a civilian, and had never been trained in any sort or self defense other than the basics, but he loved how she could verbally take down anyone who spoke bad about him, or herself, or those she loved. Chiharu, instead, loved his kindness, and the surprising amount of plant he owned in his small apartment.

 

(Together, they had spent an entire afternoon, talking about the different plants and giving the ones without ones, names.)

 

It took them two months to start dating, six to move into his cramped apartment, and a little over a year to marry.

 

They weren’t the first of their friends to marry, the clan kids either being pushed into arranged marriages (like poor Shikamaru and Hinata) but they were the last, for the time being.

 

The wedding was big, the party, bigger, and Naruto had been the happiest he’d been in a long while.

 

They stayed at the apartment, living the happy, newlywed life, enjoying the others company, when nearly a year later Chiharu gave him the news that would change their lives.

 

Pregnant.

 

They were going to be _parents_.

 

Plans were made, they bought their first house together, a two story building set closer to the forests of the Nara, which was fine by them. They got to visit Shikamaru and his wife often, and Shikamaru’s sweet toddler Shikato. They’re house was cozy, and big enough for the two (soon, three) of them. Chiharu painted the nursery and cool light blue, and they put their painted handprints on the door in their favorite colors.

 

(“Naruto,” Chiharu had said, after placing a lavender painted handprint to the door, “When the baby is born, we should put their hand up here too!”

 

He swiped and orange painted thumb over her cheek, and she giggled, before leaning in to kiss him.

 

“That sounds really great y’know! I love it!”)

 

Chiharu invited her civilian friends over for tea. Naruto had his buddies for late night drinks and gambling. The house had protection seals of every different kind courtesy of Kakashi. Naruto used the backyard for basic training only. (He was almost banned from the yard for accidentally tearing up Chiharu’s garden.) At night, Chiharu would carry blankets and Naruto would get their bedroom pillows and they’d lay out, looking at the stars, speaking of the future and their plans with the baby, and what they envisioned for the future to come.

 

The baby was born in the beginning of May, a month after Chiharu’s twenty second birthday. He had Chiharu’s downy blue eyes, and a paler shade of Naruto’s blonde hair.

 

They named him Makoto Uzumaki, Chiharu’s wish that his name bring him luck in being a sincere and kind young man as he grew.

 

The walls of their home slowly grew with pictures of them, their friends, and most importantly, Makoto.

 

Naruto’s prized photo was the three of them, standing in front of their home the day Makoto came home with them, Makoto nestled in his soft white blankets in Chiharu’s arms.

 

That first year was perfect. Watching Makoto grow and learn. Seeing the freckles that developed on Mako’s little face from the constant walks they took him on.

 

For the first time in Naruto’s life, he was truly happy. He had the family he always wanted, and Chiharu enjoyed every minute of their little life together. She worried, for Naruto, and for the dangers he faced, but in their home she could take solace in the fact that they were _safe_.

 

It happens like this.

 

Naruto had never been taken off the active duty roster. Shortly before Makoto’s birth, Kakashi had promoted him to Jounin, and as one of the heroes of the war, and a powerful shinobi (if not the most powerful) he was needed.

 

Often.

 

This left Chiharu alone with Makoto. Kakashi tried hard to keep Naruto home as often as he could. The man was more of a little brother, or son to him, and Kakashi knew how much it meant to him, to be able to stay home and help his little family grow.

 

The mission was a short one, three days, and Naruto would be home right before Makoto’s first birthday. The plan had been to celebrate at the park, with their friends and their children.

 

“I’ll be back before you know it.” Naruto had said, and pressed a gentle kiss to Chiharu’s forehead. She frowned, and held her middle, a frequent habit she had developed in childhood, when she was anxious or unsure.

 

“I just have this feeling…” her eyes drifted, falling to the most recent photo of them. It had been her twenty third birthday, and she had her husband and son around her, as well as her husbands small, makeshift family.

 

The Hokage, Kakashi, stood there, his husband Iruka at his side, with an arm thrown over Naruto’s shoulder. Naruto stood behind Chiharu, Makoto in his arms, looking curious at the camera. Yamato stood on Naruto’s other side, a hand on his shoulder, the other resting on Sai’s shoulder. Sakura was on Chiharu’s left, crouched down enough for them to be cheek to cheek, smile wide.

 

Her husband Kiba had taken the picture. Chiharu’s parents were nowhere to be seen.

 

(Chiharu had cut ties with her parents, after she started seeing Naruto.)

 

(They had... _opinions_ on the jinchuuriki, and thought it unwise and dangerous for their only daughter to be around him.)

 

(She had not spoken to them in almost three years.)

 

She loved that photo, loved the family she had made. A dark pit formed in her stomach, with the twisted feeling that had been the last time she’d see them.

 

“Hey, hey,” Naruto gently laid his hands on the sides of her arms, and smiled brightly down at her. “Don’t worry, the seals Kakashi Sensei placed makes this place super safe y’know!”

 

Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss to her lips. “And besides, I’ll die before I let anything bad happen.”

 

Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, but she still wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him tight.

 

“I love you, Naruto.”

 

“I love you too.”

 

The mission was a simple one, Naruto, along with Kiba and Sakura were to travel a days way to a smaller village in the land of fire. There, they’d retrieve an important sealing scroll, and then travel back to Konoha.

 

It had hardly been half an hour when Naruto felt a _tug_ and realized something was wrong.

 

He froze, his senses screaming at him that something was wrong, that someone was in trouble.

 

He felt the seals _break_ , and turned around and ran, leaving Sakura and Kiba calling after him in the dark.

 

When Kakashi had developed the seals, he brought Naruto in, both for his help and also to link the seals to him, in case anything went wrong. Kakashi was also linked to them, and he’d have been alerted if the seals really were broken.

 

His feet carried him home, and he skidded to a stop in front of his home. Kakashi wasn’t there, but Naruto could feel him, along with his ANBU guard, on their way towards him. The house was dark, the front door wide open.

 

He could feel Chiharu’s chakra signature. It was faint, never developed, but it had always had a soothing effect on Naruto. Makoto’s was smaller, but strong and steady like a heartbeat.

 

There was a third, unfamiliar, _dangerous_ -

 

There was a blood curdling scream, and Naruto moved.

 

_Chiharu!_

 

The door had been broken off its hinges, and Naruto could see the remnants of the seals used to protect their home burnt into the wood and-

 

He couldn’t feel Chiharu any more.

 

_He couldn’t feel her anymore-_

 

Her favorite vase was broken, furniture was tipped over and broken.

 

He could smell blood.

 

Naruto knows, logically, it didn’t take him long to get home, to survey the sorry state of the entrance of his home, before he ran up his stairs and saw.

 

But to him, his feet felt like lead, like time slowed to a crawl as he climbed the stairs.

 

He saw her body, first. Face down on the hall floor. Blood had pooled underneath her body, staining the blue pajamas she wore.

 

He wanted to fall to his knees, scream out, rage and cry. He could feel the control he and Kurama both had slipping.

 

(Kurama had been fond of her as well, a perfect mate for his kit, and as human offspring went, Kurama was fond of little Makoto as well.)

 

Makoto, _Makoto_ -

 

The baby cried, and the door had been cracked open, a bloody handprint alongside his, Chiharu’s and Makoto’s tiny one-

 

“ **_No_ ** **-** ” Naruto growled, and he felt the familiar pull of Kurama’s power alongside him. It had been years, since they both let themselves lose control like this, the power bleeding together to make something unstable and dangerous.

 

He was a blur, moving fast into the nursery. The black figure was posed over Makoto’s crib, dagger held high to kill him. They noticed Naruto too late, a powered kick sending the person clean through the wall.

 

Naruto went after him, Makoto’s cries echoing through the house.

 

Red eyes tracked the figure as they skidded to a halt. They said nothing, freezing as Naruto stared him down, red chakra cloaking him, and then bolted. The dagger was left behind, and Naruto moved to hunt them down, when a wall of wood was created in front of him.

 

“Naruto-” Kakashi was there, and Naruto could feel the familiar presence of Sai, Yamato, and three other ANBU tracking down the person with Chiharu’s _blood_ on their hands-

 

“Naruto you need to calm down- where is Chiharu. Makoto?”

 

Chiharu- his Chiharu, who was a civilian and brave and so, so kind-

 

“No, no no no no-” He regained control, Kurama simmering in the back of his mind, angry and grieving, but no longer controlling.

 

Kakashi held him, as Naruto’s legs gave out from underneath him.

 

“Naruto… where is she....” Blue met grey, and Naruto stood, pushing away from Kakashi. Kakashi followed him, up, through the hole made in the nursery.

 

Naruto was supposed to be back in three days. They were going to have a picnic, for Makoto’s birthday.

 

Makoto was supposed to have a mother.

 

He couldn’t feel her anymore, and he felt numb, falling to his knees beside her.

 

“My God-”

 

He gently picked her up, taking her still body into his arms, and turned her over. The soft blue of her eyes had faded, into a lifeless, dull color. Her rosy cheeks were pale, and her mouth was parted slightly.

 

What she calling for him, in her final moments? Pleading for her life. Was she praying for Makoto’s safety.

 

“Chiharu…” His chest heaved, his breath growing short, and he screamed. Filled with grief, and anger, and sadness. She was so cold, so still- it wasn’t right.

 

The Jounin blues Naruto wore were stained dark with her blood. His hands had her blood on them, and he’d never be able to wash it off.

 

He promised he’d protect her.

 

He should have listened.

 

Kakashi knelt beside him, and Yamato and his team were back, along with Kiba and Sakura. Farther away, he could feel Shikamaru rushing towards his home.

 

Kakashi closed her eyes, for the last time, and spoke softly.

 

It didn’t matter what he said, there was a void, and it couldn’t be filled.

  
  
  
  


The funeral was the week after Makoto’s first birthday. They had a small celebration for the baby in Iruka and Kakashi’s home, with the customary cake and presents.

 

Makoto sat in Naruto’s lap while opening them, and once the small festivities were done, Naruto had given Makoto to Iruka and retreated to their guest bedroom.

 

The funeral was held on a sunny day, and the ceremony had been beautiful. Chiharu’s civilian friends were there, crying softly while speaking of the kindness and gentleness of their friend. How she was truly happy. Naruto’s friends and family were there too, of course.

 

Shikamaru had stood beside him, his hand grounding Naruto, being a steady presence on his shoulder.

 

Naruto had refused to give a eulogy, Iruka doing one in his stead. He couldn’t do it, his voice would be too soft, scratchy, from crying so hard and so often.

 

He hadn’t felt this awful since Jiraiya passed, and even then, Naruto had been able to heal.

 

Naruto didn’t think he could come back from this. He didn’t think he ever _could_.

 

Slowly, the cemetery cleared. Chiharu’s civilian friends giving him condolences and offers of support with Makoto. One by one, Naruto’s own friends slowly left, heading towards Iruka and Kakashi’s home to gather and offer support.

 

His family stayed with him. Yamato hovering near the back, with Sai and Sakura. Kakashi was talking softly with Shikamaru behind him, and Iruka was a steady presence behind him, rocking Makoto to sleep.

 

“You!” a woman yelled. There had a been a couple Naruto didn’t recognize, standing near him.

 

“ _You_ -” She hissed, and she slapped him, her nails creating three even slashes on his cheek. “This is _your_ fault!”

 

The man, her husband, Naruto assumed, held her back. His eyes were red rimmed behind his glasses, but he could tell, they were the same shade as Chiharu’s were.

 

Sounds of protest rose up behind him, Sakura and Shikamaru the loudest. Naruto hung his head, his face stinging, and stared at his feet.

 

“If she didn’t marry you- If she had _listened_ to us, she never would have died! This is all your _fault_ -” And the women broke down into sobs.

 

“That’s unfair,” Iruka spoke now, a hand on his shoulder. “No one’s to blame other than that monster.”

 

But that’s what Naruto was, wasn’t he? That’s what people called him, when he was small. A monster, a demon.

 

It was his own fault, wasn’t it, that his parents died, that Jiraiya was taken, that the village had been destroyed by Pein.

 

“It’s okay,” his voice was soft, raw, from his tears. Now though, none came. “She’s right, it was my fault.”

 

“Naruto-” That was Sai, and Naruto shook his head.

 

“If she wants to be angry with me, she can. I’m pretty angry at myself anyways.”

 

Her husband said nothing, and instead pulled Chiharu’s weeping mother away.

 

An arm wrapped itself over Naruto’s shoulders, pulling him away from the freshly overturned dirt.

 

“Hey,” Shikamaru said, pulling him close. “C’mon, lets get outta here huh?”

 

“It doesn’t feel right, y’know.” The tombstone read _Uzumaki Chiharu_ , and Naruto’s favorite picture of her sat in front. “I don’t want to leave her.”

 

“I know,” Shikamaru said. His hand squeezed Naruto’s shoulder, and he glanced down towards his friend. “But Makoto needs you too. He can’t lose his father too.”

 

Shikamaru was right, of course. He was the smartest man Naruto knew. Makoto needed Naruto to be strong, to raise him right. Raise him into a good man like Chiharu wanted.

 

He just didn’t think he could do it alone.

 

“You _won’t_ be alone.” Sakura’s hand was on his back, and Naruto blinked back the tears that threatened to fall again.

 

“Did I say that out loud?”

 

“You did,” Sai said from behind them. If Naruto focused, he could feel Iruka and Kakashi standing behind him as well. He could hear Makoto’s quiet fussing, already growing restless.

 

“But we’re a team. We look out for each other.” Sai’s words were quiet, but held the truth.

 

“I might not be Team 7, but you’re one of my closest friends.” Shikamaru spoke. He didn’t let go from the tight side hug he had Naruto in. “I wouldn’t ever let you go through this alone.”

 

“Neither would I.” Kakashi took ahold of his arm, and gently pulled him away from the grave. “Let’s head home, alright?”

 

Shikamaru let him go, only for Kakashi to put a steady arm over his shoulder, and Yamato placing a hand on his back to guide him forward.

 

Together, they left Chiharu, and started the slow walk back to Kakashi and Iruka’s home.

  
  
  
  


It took half a year for Naruto and Makoto to move out of his former teachers home, and even then, they tried to keep him there.

 

“Are you sure?” Iruka had asked one morning, placing down a mug of coffee for Naruto at the table. Kakashi had already left while it had still been dark.

 

“Yeah, I don’t wanna be a nuisance too much, y’know? You guys have been so great and… I think me and Mako-chan just need to get back on our feet!” Makoto, in question, had been pushing away the spoon of mushy oatmeal that Naruto was trying to feed him. At a year and a half, Makoto was an independent baby, and could eat solid foods on his own, and hold his own spoon, but Naruto didn’t want to risk the mess.

 

(The green mashed pea stains were still in Iruka’s wall, no matter how hard he and Naruto tried to scrub it out.)

 

“Naruto, I’ve told you, it’s no problem-”

 

“I know Iruka Sensei but- I just-” Naruto sighed, rubbing his free hand through his hair. Makoto took his father’s pause to gleefully slap his hands down on his high chair and bowl, getting his breakfast all over. “It’s great here, and everything, but I think it’s something I need to do.” he said while wincing, resigning to Makoto’s mess.

 

“Well… if that’s what you want to do, I’ll go with you to look at new homes.” Iruka smiled, and leaned over with a napkin, gently cleaning Makoto’s cheeks.

 

Naruto couldn’t go back to the old house. Not where Chiharu died, not where all their memories and love was.

 

Sure, the floors and walls had been cleans of blood, and Naruto still owned the property in name alone, but it wasn’t home. He could still smell her blood, feel her presence in every corner of the property. The walls of the nursery they had painted. Her garden in the backyard.

 

Her ghost was everywhere, haunting him, in that empty home.

 

He and Iruka took the day to look at listings, boring things over all. Makoto had been dropped off with Sai at his apartment, and with a Kankuro who had been lounging on the couch.

 

“Don’t worry man,” Kankuro gave him a thumbs up from where he laid. Sai placed Makoto on his hip, and gave the little boy a smile.

 

“Say goodbye to your father now, Mako.”

 

“Buh-buh dada!” Sai wince as Makoto yelled his goodbyes, waving his chubby arm at his father as he left.

 

In the end, the new home wasn’t that far from the Sakura and Kiba’s home, which was a few short blocks away from the Inuzuka compound. It was more crowded than Naruto’s old home, with the houses almost squished together. It wasn’t tiny, but still smaller than the home he had shared with Chiharu, and a backyard big enough for Makoto to play in.

 

It wasn’t perfect, but it would do.

 

When it came to move in however, that was the hard part.

 

“You can do it.” Yamato was beside him, a steady hand to keep Naruto from running. Iruka and Hinata had taken the responsibility of watching over Makoto for Naruto for the day, as he got things settled.

 

Boxes were stacked in neat piles in front of the steps that led to the door. Each had been neatly marked, such as _Dishes_ and _Nursery_ and _Chiharu’s clothes_.

 

“I’m being a coward.” His hands squeezed into tight fists, his nails making crescent marks in his palms.

 

“It’s a big step.” Kakashi said simply. “You know, Iruka and myself wouldn’t mind-”

 

“Agh! No way Kakashi Sensei! I have to do this- it’s just…” He sighed, his hands tugging at his hair. “I want to be over it, but I keep getting scared that something might happen again and…”

 

“It’s not something you just ‘get over’ Naruto.” Kakashi’s arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked at the home as a mission to tackle.

 

“Say, the Kazekage is in town for a couple more days,” Kakashi said, looking over at him. “I’m sure he’d be delighted to see you for a little bit. Not to mention, you haven’t seen Gaara in a while right? Not since last New Years.”

 

“Uh,” Naruto looked to Yamato, then to Kakashi, back to Yamato, then back to Kakashi. “I mean, I haven’t seen him but- he’s probably real busy with stuff from the last Gokage meet, y’know? I don’t wanna bother him-”

 

“Nonsense!” Kakashi had Naruto by the arm, dragging him off down the street. “Yamato will take care of things until you get back, won’t you Yamato!” Kakashi didn’t stop to look, instead cheerfully waving goodbye as he dragged Naruto along.

 

“K-Kakashi-” Yamato called after his retreating form, before slumping. “Oh forget it.”

  
  
  
  


The plan had gone off without a hitch. Since the incident, Naruto hadn’t been at the top of his game. It wasn’t fair to take advantage of his friends grief, but for this situation, Shikamaru was happy to let his friend have some time off without worrying.

 

“You can come out now.” Yamato called, sitting down on the front steps.

 

The “Move-In Crew” as Kakashi so affectionately called it, consisted of Shikamaru himself, Chouji, Kiba and Sakura, Sai and Kankuro, Ino’s husband, a Jounin named Sakuba, Shino, Lee, Yamato, and Konohamaru.

 

Essentially, all of Naruto’s friends who were able, wanted to do all that they could.

 

“So,” Shikamaru started, once everyone was crowded in front of the house. “Our mission is one for our friend. We’re going to do up his house, and do it nice. He’s been through a lot recently, and you know he’s always there for us, so it’s time to step up to the plate.”

 

They got to work fast.

 

Sai got to work setting new coats of paint to what would be Makoto’s room, complete with painted frog motifs and decorations, and paintings that he and Makoto had made together. After Iruka and Kakashi, Sai was the next best thing to a babysitter Naruto had. They all looked after Makoto when they could, and Sakura was always ready to take Makoto in, but with most of them having small children already, or, in Hinata’s case, pregnant, Sai was the next best bet.

 

He enjoyed having Makoto at his apartment, always finger painting or helping to bring out Makoto’s more creative side with different projects. It was even better when Kankuro was visiting, the sand Jounin taking an interest in Naruto’s son as well.

 

(Shikamaru overheard Kankuro, once, over dinner speaking to Sai, if he was ever interested in children in the future.)

 

(He wondered, if Sai would end up immigrating to Suna like Lee and Tenten had, or if Kankuro would stay in the leaf with him.)

 

Kiba and Lee had ended up dragging Makoto’s old door from the other house to this one, and were working on replacing it.

 

Sakura was working on setting up the kitchen. Kankuro was helping place furniture, along with Tenten and Yamato. Chouji and Shino were placing photos on the wall, and Shikamaru was carting in boxes with Sakuba.

 

Sakuba was nice, far too nice to be married to Ino in Shikamaru’s opinion, but he was head over heels for the Yamanaka, and adored their daughter.

 

(Ino had met Sakuba after the war. He was a few years older than her, but he worked in T&I, and had been Ino’s mentor there.)

 

(He was jealous of them, they got married within a year after they started dating, while Shikamaru had been arranged to Tomoyo after the war by the Nara elders.)

 

“Where’s little Kato today?” Sakuba asked, stretching his arms over his head.

 

Shikamaru shrugged, grabbing another box and straightened himself out, wincing as his back popped. He was far too young to be having back problems already…

 

“I left him with his mother, but knowing her, she probably dropped him off with my mom.”

 

Sakuba frowned at that, grabbing his own box and carrying it up.

 

“That’s not very fair to him…”

 

Shikamaru huffed, itching for a smoke. Speaking of Tomoyo always made him annoyed. She was the wealthy civilian daughter of the owner of a pharmaceutical bramch. Stuck up, spoiled, she had no interest in their son Shikato. Shikamaru guessed that was expected, he knew this wasn’t the outcome she expected of her life, but it still annoyed him that he was the only one with a real relationship with their son, and that she’d rather drop him off with Shikamaru’s mother than watch him herself.

 

“Yeah, you’re telling me.”

 

He walked up the steps, pausing to glance at Sakuba. “Let’s get this finished though, we don’t know how long the Kazekage can distract him.”

  
  
  
  


Lunch with Gaara turned into a walk around the village, which then turned into Gaara dragging him to dinner. Gaara, it seemed, had a lot to say and speak about. Changes going on in Suna, talks about how Lee wanted to adopt some little ones, the construction of the trains that were going to bridge Suna and Konoha through the desert.

 

Naruto was grateful to Gaara, effectively keeping his mind off the move and Chiharu and Makoto, if only for a little while.

 

Dinner was at Ichiraku, and it was far later than Naruto intended to have stayed out.

 

“Man… and I was hoping to be moved in tonight.”

 

Gaara gave Naruto a confused look.

 

“I’m sorry… did I keep you from something?”

 

“Nah,” Naruto waved a hand, and gave Gaara a sheepish smile. “It’s just… I moved into a new place, y’know, outta Kakashi and Iruka Sensei’s… I wanted to be moved in tonight but…” He sighed.

 

“Guess that's not happenin’.”

 

“Well… how about we take a walk by.” Gaara suggested, taking Naruto’s arm. “We can see what we can do for tonight, the rest can wait for tomorrow.”

 

“Yeah, I guess so.”

 

He let Gaara drag him, and if Naruto cared more, he might think that the two of them looked like they were on a date, taking a leisurely stroll at night with Gaara’s arm through his.

 

He didn’t care though, he was content to be with him, his friend.

 

“It’s close to the Inuzuka’s, yes?” Gaara asked, glancing up at him.

 

“Yeah… Kiba and Sakura-chan don’t live far away. And Kakashi and Iruka Sensei live nearby too.”

 

“That’s good.” Gaara said, patting his arm. They walked in silence the rest of the way, and Naruto froze when he saw the house.

 

He figured Yamato had dragged the boxes inside, but the lights were on, and Naruto could see figures behind the large living room window.

 

“What in the world…” He blinked. There were flowers planted in boxes underneath the windows. Those hadn’t been there before.

 

“Shall we go see what’s inside?” Gaara’s face held a small smile, and Naruto could see the excitement half hidden in his eyes. He was _eager_ for something, but the question was what.

 

“Yeah,” Naruto gave him his own smile, uncertain, nervous, but more genuine than the ones he had been wearing the entire day.

 

They walked up the steps, arm in arm, and Gaara used his sand to open the door for them at the top.

 

“Surprise!”

 

Naruto gasped, and Gaara let him go, stepping back slightly as Naruto walked into the home.

 

All his friends were gathered there, smiles on their faces. A bottle of champagne popped, and Kiba let out a whoop as Sakura chided him.

 

“I- You guys…” Naruto was, speechless. The house was moved in already. Photos of him and Chiharu and their friends hung on the walls and sat on tables. Paintings gifted to them from Sai hung on the walls, and fresh flowers from Ino sat in Chiharu’s favorite vase, the cracks repaired in gold.

 

He felt tears welling up in his eyes, the help and support of his friends hitting him.

 

“Dada!” Makoto yelled, and toddled right into his legs, hugging them with his chubby little arms.

 

“Upah! Upah!” he chanted, reaching up, and Naruto laughed, leaning down and taking Makoto in his arms.

 

“Hey hey, were you a good boy for Iruka-jiji today?” Naruto laughed, giving Makoto a little tickle on his tummy.

 

“Ya ya! Iruji, Iruji!” Makoto chanted.

 

Naruto sniffed, wiping his eyes.

 

“Thanks, guys, you didn’t have to…”

 

“We wanted to.” Shikamaru said, leaning against the couch. He smiled at Naruto, despite looking so uncomfortable, being squished into such a tiny house with so many people.

 

“Yeah!” Tenten called from beside Temari. “You’re our friend, you’re always there for us, so we wanted to be here for you too.”

 

Kakashi walked over, throwing an arm over his shoulder.

 

“I told you, didn’t I, that Yamato would take care of it.” Lifting a hand he scratched his masked chin, looking up in contemplation. “Though it seems like he requested help… maa maa, I guess he can’t do _everything_ on it own, yeah?”

 

An angry shout of _Hey_ came from Yamato, somewhere in the crowd of people, and for the first time in months, Naruto smiled and laughed genuinely, and happily, since Chiharu died.

 

It still hurt, and it probably always would, but to him, this was the first step to healing.

 

Surrounded by his family and friends, for now, it was enough.

**Author's Note:**

> this is the map of konoha im using https://www.deviantart.com/cooroinuzuka/art/Konohagakure-Map-609885274
> 
> places are in german buttt... yeah


End file.
